UFC 161's Igor Pokrajac feeling like a 'Porsche in Le Mans'

Igor Pokrajac knows North Americans prefer their muscle cars. Back home, though, the Croatia cruises around in an all-black Mercedes C63. But when it comes to Saturday’s UFC 161 event, he said he’ll resemble an entirely different type of vehicle.

“A porsche, like in Le Mans,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I can go for 24 hours.”

Le Mans, of course, is home to the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans, a daylong sports-car race taking place in France since 1923. It’s a grueling affair that rewards endurance and efficiency, and requires months of preparation and fine-tuning.

According to Pokrajac (25-9 MMA, 4-4 UFC), it requires much of the same planning he’s put into Saturday’s UFC 161 fight with fellow light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo (17-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC). Although winless in his past two fights, Pokrajac gets a high-profile slot on the event’s pay-per-view main card, which takes place at MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

Pokrajac was riding high following a three-fight UFC winning streak just a year ago. But following losses to Vinny Magalhaes and Joey Beltran (the latter of which was overturned due to his opponent’s fail drug test), Pokrajac’s in a must-win situation. That’s why, up until he hits the scale at Friday’s weigh-ins, he’ll be pushing himself hard.

“Imagine having a sports car,” he said. “If you’re not driving fast, you’re not going to have a good performance. It’s like me and body. I like to train hard everyday until the day before that fight.”

After a 24-hour flight to Canada earlier this week, Pokrajac immediately checked into the hotel and then went through a training session. He said he felt out of whack during his fight with Beltran, which came on a month’s notice and in Australia. He didn’t adjust to the time difference or jet lag, and he ultimately was on the wrong end of a decision because of it.

This time around, though, he’s physically prepared. And as usual, he said, he’s mentally prepared.

Part of the reason for that is Pokrajac’s pre-fight homework. The first part was studying tape on Jimmo. Pokrajac is keenly aware of the Canadian’s recent 17-fight win streak, which included a seven-second knockout of Anthony Perosh in his UFC debut. Pokrajac, though, is much more interested in his opponent’s recent decision loss to James Te Huna.

“That fight with Te Huna, he showed a lot of weaknesses,” Pokrajac said. “I see some holes in his game. Those fights before the UFC, they don’t concern me because those people aren’t of the quality of UFC fighters. So I’m just watching those last two fights that he had in the UFC, and I honed in on that.”

But the game-planning goes beyond that. Pokrajac, who said he received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt just a few days ago, is studying his own fights, too. And he’s doing so for an obvious reason: his opponent is doing the same thing.

“I’m always putting myself in his position,” Pokrajac said. “How would I beat myself? I think about that. And at that point, I know exactly what he’s going to do.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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